There should be ample interest in locations that become available as a result of PNC Financial Services Group's pending $5.6 billion acquisition of Cleveland-based National City Corp., according to local real estate agents.

Even if it's not competitor banks looking for sites to expand, these locations are ideal for a variety of retail and professional office uses, experts say.

"Retail bank branches are usually well-built, and many are located in prime locations," said Ned Doran of GVA Oxford, the commerical brokerage arm of Oxford Development Co.

Doran has helped National City find locations for branch offices in the Pittsburgh area in recent years.

He worked with the former Integra Corp. when it was disposing of duplicate branch locations after it was created in the 1989 merger of Pittsburgh's Union National Bank Corp. and Pennbancorp of Titusville.

When PNC announced its merger with National City in October, it said it would not retain all of National City's 158 branches in the seven-county Pittsburgh market, but it did not say how many would be added to PNC's 96 branches here.

PNC said it expected to take 23 months to evaluate National City branches and other assets before integrating the two organizations.

If banks such as FNB Corp., S&T Bank and First Commonwealth that are looking to expand here don't end up with the branches PNC decides not to keep, other uses can include medical facilities, offices for service companies, law, accounting or real estate offices, Doran said.

Small restaurants or retail stores also are possibilities.

Doran noted the case of a National City branch on Fort Couch Road just across from South Hills Village in Bethel Park that became available several years ago.

After National City relocated the branch to a parcel on Route 19 at South Hills Village, the former 0.7-acre site with a 2,945-square-foot building was sold in 2006 for $1.11 million to Craig Cozza of Alex Development LLC, who has since located a Pro Bicycle store there.

"Obviously, there is great overlap with the retail branches (of PNC and National City) throughout their respective territories," said Hugh "Herky" Pollock, commercial broker with CB Richard Ellis/Pittsburgh. "There will be great demand for the units that will be discarded; however, PNC will need to decide if they will sub-lease or sell these units to another competitor."

Real estate notes

• Cranberry Corporate Center has added three tenants who collectively occupy 26,000 square feet. They are EXCO-North Coast Energy, Pitney Bowes and Recover Care. The center has six office/warehouse buildings with nearly 215,000 square feet. Rob Blackmore and Rich Gasperini of CB Richard Ellis/Pittsburgh represented the landlord, Silk & Stewart Development; Scott Astorino of Grant Street Associates represented Pitney Bowes, and Matt Virgin of Langholz Wilson Ellis represented EXCO-North Coast.

• East Liberty Boulevard from Highland to Negley avenues is now tree-lined with 115 trees of 13 species. The trees were provided by the Pennsylvania Treevitalive Program, Friends of the Pittsburgh Urban Forest, Pennsylvania Elm Street Program and the East Liberty Development Inc. and were planted by 150 volunteers, Nate Wildfire, ELD's sustainable policy coordinator, said.

• The Musuneggi Financial Group has moved from Upper St. Clair to Manor Oak II, 1919 Cochran Rd., Green Tree. It will hold an open house from 2 to 7 p.m. Dec. 11, and participants are asked to bring a toy for Toys for Tots.

• Young Rembrandts, a national art program, moved to expanded facilities at 8322 Pennsylvania Ave., North Huntingdon, where it created The Children's Gallery.

• Indiana University of Pennsylvania has opened its Pittsburgh office in the National City Center, 20 Stanwix St., Downtown, with Debra Valentine-Gray as director of regional advancement.

Transactions

• Westcon Inc. sold commercial buildings in Riverfront Park, Monessen, to Westmoreland County Industrial Development for $1.13 million, according to a deed filed in Westmoreland County.

• An industrial building at 820 Commonwealth Dr., Thorn Hill Industrial Park, Cranberry, owned by Timothy J. Felker, was sold to Welling W. Fruehauf for $900,000, according to a deed filed in Butler County.

• A one-story building at 1444 Beers School Rd., Moon, owned by Copy Center Partnership, was purchased by Medmoon LP for $584,000, according to a deed filed in Allegheny County.

• Hovis Auto and Truck Supply of Oil City has purchased the site of the former sports complex Born 2 Run in Springfield Township, Mercer County, for $1.65 million. Hovis will use the facility, near the Grove City Factory Shops and Interstate 79, as a warehouse/distribution center. Penn-Northwest and the Shenango Valley Enterprise Zone Corp. provided a $250,000 loan at 4 percent and the Northwest Commission provided a $200,000 loan, also at 4 percent.

Real estate gallery

• Northwood Realty Services agents who completed a manager apprentice program are Suzanne Myers , Somerset; Susan Rogers , Murrysville; and Karen Hart and Patty Messina , Grove City.

• Prudential Preferred Realty hired Tracy Janov at the Bethel Park office.

• WTW Architects hired architects Andrew C. Churchill , Laura B. Gibson , Samantha A. Smelko , Abigail C. Anderson , Carolyn M. Curcio , Adam P. Stadt , Douglas M. Lieb , Kristin E. Goral , Casimir J. Pellegrini and Abigail Mountain .

Contributors: Sam Spatter and Laura L. Lenk

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